Grinding and Headaches

Do you often feel tension in your temples or suffer from headaches? Have you noticed your teeth look worn down or chipped? Does your jaw click, lock or feel painful when you chew or bite? A cause for all of these problems can be related to bruxism, or the grinding or clenching of your teeth, and the debilitating pain that can cause may be surprising.

Bruxism affects up to 80% of people, have a wide range of causes but symptoms often worsen during stressful periods. This pressure can lead to the accelerated wear of teeth, cracks and teeth becoming loose.

However many symptoms are not thought of as ‘dental’ so often the condition can be left undiagnosed. A few of these include back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, migraines, aching jaws or facial muscles, earache, tinnitus, poor sleep and lock jaw or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (sometimes called TMJD).

“I had no idea that grinding one’s teeth causes headaches, neck aches and even shoulder problems all of which I had been experiencing for years and had put down to a very stressful job. Within a week of having the bite splint fitted, all my head and neck pains vanished and haven’t returned. Even my computer stressed shoulder pains have eased. I have been sleeping much better and wouldn’t go without the bite splint now.”

Free consultation

At Crescent Lodge our team is trained to help diagnose these problems and help you to get relief for these symptoms and protect your teeth for years to come. At a free 20-minute consultation we will carry out a thorough investigation of your jaw, muscles and teeth to determine what is causing your discomfort and help to alleviate it. In some cases, simply involve wearing a custom-made bite guard at night can help place your jaw in a more relaxed position for relieving tension in your neck and facial muscles and protect your teeth. Other solutions may include replacing missing teeth or adjusting any ill-fitting restorations that you may have. The appropriate treatment plan is something we will formulate at your free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s entirely possible. The muscles of your tempero-mandibular joint run along your jaw and cheeks. Grinding your teeth can lead these muscles to tense up, and the pain can spread to neighbouring muscles, and even the top of your head.

Several factors can lead to a misaligned jaw, such as trauma from an accident, arthritis, genetics, or a birth defect.

Yes. While more serious cases might require surgery, less severe misalignments can be solved through dental treatment. This is something we will discuss with you at your free consultation.